Ohio Students to Compete in Annual Envirothon Competition at Deer Creek State Park

One hundred students representing each section of the state from 17 high schools will compete for the 2012 Ohio Envirothon, which will be held at Deer Creek State Park. The 2012 Ohio Envirothon, held June 11-12, is a competitive outdoor team event designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the environment and natural resources for high school students. Each team consists of five students.

The annual event is an outdoor academic competition that tests students' knowledge of soil and land use, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. Sponsors of this year’s competition include the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Soil and Water Resources and the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

More than 1,500 students participated in Area Envirothons, with 100 students earning the opportunity to compete at the Ohio Envirothon. The top teams from each of the state’s five regional Envirothon competitions will compete, answering questions at field test sites and preparing a short oral presentation on this year’s topic: Nonpoint Source Pollution/Low Impact Development: Going Green with LID technology to reduce NPS.

Students will work cooperatively in five-member teams to answer questions prepared by ODNR Divisions of Wildlife and Soil and Water Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Professional Forestry LLC and Pheasants Forever.

This year's competitors hail from five different areas. Schools representing northwest Ohio (Area 1) are: Fort Jennings High School, Delta FFA and Wynford High School. Representing northeast Ohio (Area 2) are: Boardman High School, Chardon High School, Crestview High School and United High School. Buckeye Career Center, Granville High School, Mid-East Career Center and East Knox High School represent east-central Ohio (Area 3). Franklin High School, Centerville High School and Beavercreek High School represent southwest Ohio (Area 4). Schools representing central/southeast Ohio are: West Union High School, Delaware Career Center and New Albany High School.

The team who wins the statewide competition will represent Ohio and travel to Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., for the national competition, called the North American Canon Envirothon, which is scheduled for July 22-28.

Additional major sponsors for the 2012 Ohio Envirothon include ODNR’s Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, the Ohio EPA’s Environmental Education Fund, Pheasants Forever, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources and Ag Credit.